Phil Vickery has today retired on medical advice, less than five months short of his 35th birthday. He won 73 England caps during a 12-year international career, went on two tours with the Lions and made 190 appearances in total for his two clubs, and will announce his decision at a press conference later today.
Born in Cornwall, he joined Gloucester from Redruth. He was 21 when he made his international debut, against Wales in 1998, and took part in the World Cup the following year after recovering from a neck injury.
He played in the 2003 and 2007 World Cup finals, captaining England in the latter. He was released by Gloucester in 2006 because they were concerned that, after operations on his neck and back, he did not have long left in the game.
Vickery proved them wrong and spent four years with Wasps, keeping his place in the national squad and touring South Africa with the Lions last year, playing in the first and third Tests.
Vickery’s retirement is proof of the growing toll professional rugby is having on players. His fellow prop in the 2003 World Cup final, Trevor Woodman, had to give up the game because of injury, as did the hooker, Steve Thompson, only to resurrect his career two years later. Another prop involved with England in 2003, Robbie Morris, is retiring because of a spinal condition.
Vickery is almost the last of a dying generation, players who remember what it was like in the amateur era. He was someone who tasted the highs and lows at international level but never lost his perspective in good times or bad.
The prop, who is a self-confessed Take That fan, wrote in his book: “I know I sound like an old git, but a message I’d like to give kids starting out as professionals today is how vital it is that they put some money away.
“I’m sure that rugby careers are going to get shorter and shorter as the sport becomes tougher and tougher. A rugby career doesn’t last long.” This week Vickery sadly found out exactly how long his had lasted.
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